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Locally made film gives fresh spin to ‘The Jungle Book’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
“The Jungle Book: Make a Wish,” a film shot partially in Youngstown, will get its premiere Dec. 30 at Encore Cinema in Niles.
The 90-minute film was written and directed by Cleveland-based filmmaker Vitaliy Versace, who has shot a string of movies in the Mahoning Valley using amateur local actors.
“The Jungle Book: Make a Wish” begins in a hospital ward with children who are battling cancer. As they read Rudyard Kipling’s novel “The Jungle Book,” a miraculous change happens: the book comes to life and the children appear in the jungle.
Youngstown’s Mill Creek Park was the setting for the jungle scenes, which were shot during the summer. Hospitals in Alliance, Parma, Chardon and Cleveland were the locations for the hospital scenes.
The cast includes more than 40 children and 30 adults, said Versace, who is dedicating the film to children who are stricken with cancer.
Characters from the hospital are transformed into animals as “The Jungle Book” comes alive. For example, a stern janitor becomes the tiger Shere Khan.
Versace said he and his colleagues were discussing how to remake “The Jungle Book” when they hit upon the idea of having the book come to life as it is read to ailing children in a hospital.
“It makes the children happy, but there are some sad and emotional scenes,” said Versace, of the plot.
Versace is also hoping to get Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James to make a cameo, which he would edit into a revised cut of the film.
Niles filmmaker David Walker served as executive producer and film editor for “Jungle Book: Make a Wish” and Boardman-based talent agent Linda Weaver was the casting director.
Youngstown radio personality Fast Freddie plays himself in the film, in person and as a voice on the radio.
The cast also includes Paul Gustovich of Youngstown, who will appear in Versace’s next film, “Castaways,” which will be shot in Puerto Rico. Other cast members are Maksim Davis, Brian Briggs, Chloe Orzo, Bridget Briggs, William Davis, Tatiana Bartul, Lucy Anguilano, Michael James and Sasha Colos.
Colos is a Los-Angeles-based musical artist, and five of her songs are used in the film’s soundtrack.
The Dec. 30 premiere starts at 7 p.m. and will be preceded by a red carpet event at the theater. Tickets are $5 (free for children under 15) and will be sold at the box office.